Trees and shrubs, evergreen. Leaves opposite, simple, entire. Domatia present (in ours). Inflorescences consist of axillary, paniculate cymes or fascicles. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx deeply lobed. Corolla with a very short tube and linear lobes, lobes strongly concave, with incurved margins and hooded apex. Stamens 2. Ovary 2-locular. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe. Comment: African and Madagascan species, formerly placed in a broadly defined genus Chionanthus, are now placed here. Chionanthus s.s. is now confined to Tropical South America. Worldwide: 106 species in Tropical Africa, Southern Africa and Madagascar. Malawi: 1 taxon. |
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